Lest We Forget
by Dream Horizon
Summary: The brothers lose more than just their way when investigating missing hikers Who would have thought that something so small could cause so much trouble?
1. Chapter 1

** Lest We Forget**

**Summary **

The brothers lose more than just their way when investigating missing hikers - Who would have thought that something so small could cause so much trouble?

**Disclaimer**

What we still have to do this? **Sighs** Ok, don't sue, I'm only playing in TETIK land…they belong to him not me…I promise to give them back in almost one piece though.

**Author's Note**

This is not the sequel I promised to With The Coming of the Dawn (sorry!)- It's an attempt at a more light-hearted fic. Damned plot bunny refused to leave and was threatening to eat my SN DVD's, so what's a fan girl to do?

Dedicated to Katrine – a girl who knows how to have a laugh and make others laugh too…not to mention a wonderful Beta – Thank you.

**Warnings **

There will be some bad language, mostly the F, S and P words, not overly much but if you want a fic with no swearing, please do not read this one. There may be some violence and more than likely some angst – hope you don't mind.

Other than that, please read, review, and please let me know what you think...not sure if I can write humour but thought what the hell- give it a go!

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**Prologue**

"Dude, I think you just pissed it off."

"It should have done more than that- who the hell puts rock-salt in a shotgun?" The shorter of the two young men muttered angrily.

"Apparently you do" The taller man commented.

The first glared at his companion. "And what was that freakin thing? That was one fugly bear!"

"I really don't think it was a bear- I doubt swinging out from under a bridge is normal bear behaviour"

"How on earth would you know? A few hours ago you didn't even know your name _Sam_"

"Neither did you _Dean_!"

"Well if it wasn't a bear, what was it?"

"Apart from being pissed at being shot at with rock-salt?"

"If you can't say anything constructive, don't say anything at all"

"You're like a bear with a sore head aren't you?" Sam commented with a grin.

"Shut the hell up beanpole" Dean couldn't help the grin tugging at his mouth.

"Maybe it was a mutant sloth or something?" Sam speculated.

"Mutant sloth? – Are you _sure_ you haven't been eating magic mushrooms?"

"Who knows?" Sam responded. In fact asides from their names they didn't know much. Both he and the man walking next to him had stumbled across each other earlier that day. Both dirty and dishevelled, neither with any memory of whom they were nor how exactly they had come to be here. His companion, _Dean_, he reminded himself was not exactly dressed for hiking in jeans, a white t-shirt, a green over-shirt and a leather jacket. Then again, he was wearing jeans, a green t-shirt, a striped shirt and a brown hoodie, so obviously neither of them was experienced hikers. _Who in god's name wears so many layers in summer time anyway?_ He thought grouchily.

Dean Hagle and Sam Brenne…if it wasn't for their Driving Licences they wouldn't even know their names. The shotgun had come as a bit of a surprise to the young man- it had been more than a little worrying to come across a confused man with a shotgun who had no memory. Then again, he had pointed his gun first…

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_**Earlier that day…**_

"Jesus, what hit me?" Moss green eyes opened slowly, confusion and pain warring for supremacy.

"What the…?" He glanced around. He was lying on his back in the middle of a forest, the sun warm on his face. For some reason he felt relaxed, carefree…that was until he realised he had no idea where he was. This thought was followed quickly by _why am I here? _Then more concernedly, _who am I?_

He sat bolt upright. That was a mistake as the pain in his head suddenly exploded, stars dancing in front of his eyes. He looked around and saw a shotgun lying at his feet. Automatically he reached out to pick it up, it felt familiar, reassuring…and if that didn't worry him more…

Not too far away, soft, warm hazel eyes opened, the expression mirroring the others. This time though confusion was not the first feeling, no, he felt at peace, rested. But something wouldn't let him rest; something hard was digging him in the back. Reluctantly the young man sat up and reached behind him…there was a handgun in the waistband of his jeans…_shit…_He looked at the gun…was this his? Then he looked around, "What's going on?" He whispered. He had no idea where he was, how he had come to be here or why. He couldn't even remember his _name_…

The tall dark haired young man had been walking through the forest when ahead he heard the snap of a branch- almost of its own accord his hand reached behind him and pulled the handgun from his jeans. He could see a figure moving ahead and quietly crept up behind it. _Better safe than sorry_-he thought. Who knew who else was out here- for all he knew he could have been attacked and that was why he had no memory- his head certainly hurt enough to have been hit, and he _had_ been unconscious. Just as he stepped out from the path the figure spun raising the shotgun. Both men stood, each looking down the barrel of a weapon, though in the dark haired man's case it was two barrels.

"Who the hell are you?" The other man demanded.

"Er…" _I don't know_ did not seem to be the right answer when looking down the twin barrels of a shotgun, and this man looked like he could handle both it and himself.

"I said, who the hell are you and why are you following me!"

"I wasn't! I'm just lost!"

"So you are pointing a gun at me because…"

"Look this probably sounds weird but I have no idea why am I here, or where even here is. Until a few minutes ago, I didn't even know my name…its Sam by the way…" He smiled engagingly, and hopefully disarmingly, and fixed his earnest gaze on the other man.

Sam lowered his gun and held out his hands. He didn't know why but despite the fierce look on the other man's face, he felt an almost innate sense of trust towards him.

What threw him though was the look of relief in the other man's expression…"Thank god, I was beginning to think I was going nuts. Ditto by the way, and the names Dean." He pointed the shotgun away from Sam and held out his hand. He did not know why he felt he could trust the younger man opposite but he did, and with no memory, instincts were all he had left to rely on.

They quickly exchanged what little they knew about what had happened.

"So, you've no idea where we are either." Sam asked the other man.

"Nope"

"Have you a phone?"

"Yes, but no signal."

"Same here."

"Fuck". Dean kicked at a mound of grass.

"So do you want to pick a direction…?" Sam waved his arm in an all-encompassing motion.

"Aren't you supposed to stay put if you get lost?"

"Yeah but that's assuming anyone knows we're here."

"Good point. But what's the chance of two strangers not telling people where they are going?"

"About as likely as two gun carrying strangers losing their memories and bumping into each other in the middle of a forest I'd say."

"Anyone ever tell you you have a smart mouth Sam?"

"How would I know?"

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They had wandered aimlessly for a few hours until they had found a more well worn trail that had led to a stone bridge over a steep gully. Sam had just stepped onto it when a huge, hairy shape had swung over the side of the bridge, snarling.

Dean had automatically raised the shotgun and fired at the creature, point blank. It roared and charged at them, Sam had fired his handgun and the creature never even slowed.

The two men looked at each other, gob smacked and both fired again with no effect. They looked down at their guns, back up at the now obviously enraged creature, and then back to each other. Their faces had almost identical comical 'o's of surprise, and they came to the same conclusion - "Shit!" and turned to run…

-TBC ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So...is this ok? - Should I continue...please let me know- I love to hear from you!

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And just for Catbeist…

"Holy Memory Loss Batman"

"Do I know you?"

"What? Holy sidekick Batman, its Robin!"

"Why are we wearing tights Robin?"

"We're in disguise - we're Superheroes. "

"It doesn't disguise much Robin...in fact it leaves very little to the imagination at all...and Robin?"

"Yes Batman"

"What kind of Superheroes wear roller-skates with Bats on them?"

"It's a long story...Once upon a time there was a world known as Supernatural and a nefarious and tricky foe know as Evil Fan Girl..."

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	2. Clues and Chocolate

**Lest We Forget**

**Summary **

The brothers lose more than just their way when investigating missing hikers - Who would have thought that something so small could cause so much trouble?

**Disclaimer**

Still not mine…if they were Sam's hair would so be cut and washed by now (by me...sighs) …bring back the bangs!

**Author's Note**

Still hoping you like this- please let me know…if I don't know it's wrong, I can't fix it lol! Thanks for reading and reviewing…will try to reply whenever fanfic plays nice…

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**Chapter 1 – Clues and Chocolate**

Something prodded Sam in the back, returning him from his reverie.

"Dude, do you mind _not_ prodding me in the back with the shotgun"

"Now that's what I call a_ loaded_ question Sam" Sam rolled his eyes "Sides, quit your bitching, it's not like it has any ammunition that would kill you."

"Would still hurt like hell though…"

Dean frowned, for some reason he felt a sense of déjà vu and absent-mindedly rubbed at his chest.

"So what's the plan genius?"

"Why ask me?"

"Well I picked the direction last time and look how well that turned out – it's your turn."

"I think where I woke up is not too far from here – maybe we could find something to give us a clue on what happened."

"What like a note saying 'we stole your memory, to find it follow the trail of breadcrumbs'?"

Sam ignored him and looked around – "This looks familiar"

"Of course it looks familiar Sam, we're in a forest, and we're surrounded by virtually identical trees. It _all_ looks bloody familiar."

Dean scowled at the other man. "So which way now Pathfinder?"

"Who rattled your cage?"

"I'm hungry."

"So you've said" _At least half a dozen times already. "And?"_

"I get grouchy when I'm hungry."

"I'd never have guessed."

Dean started rummaging through the pockets of his jacket when suddenly his face brightened. "Aha provisions!"

"They're M & M's."

"No - they're food of the gods!"

"_M &M's?"_

"You can have squirrel for all I care. " He shook the bad in Sam's direction…so…delicious chocolaty goodness or Squirrel Nutkins?"

Sam grabbed a handful and munching, looked around thoughtfully at the glade they had just entered. The clearing formed virtually a perfect circle, the trees almost rigid in attention and uniform in height. He hadn't noticed earlier but in the centre of the clearing was a circle of grass a distinctive lighter shade of green…_strange_…"This looks like the place…"

He and Dean split up and each took one side of the clearing.

"Hey." Dean called to Sam. "Is this yours?" He held up a backpack.

"Does it have 'property of amnesia victim written' on it?" Sam called back.

"Funny Sam, real funny. Nothing's gonna bite me in here is it?"

"I doubt there's anything_ that _desperate Dean." Sam walked over to where Dean was kneeling.

"This just gets freakier by the minute." Dean muttered tipping the backpack onto the ground.

A mixture of various sized pouches scattered across the grass. Dean looked inquisitively at the tall man beside him who just shrugged, and began to open the pouches. Inside the first was a white, granular substance.

"Something you want to tell me Sam?" He knew it wasn't drugs but was just as surprised.

"More salt?" Sam asked incredulously. _What the hell?_ "What is it with us and salt?"

Dean continued to tip out some of the other pouches. One looked to contained bullets made of silver; another a bag of iron rounds. A third pouch appeared to contain some herb like substance and the fourth a selection of crystals and stones- the only one he recognized being rose quartz. There was also a bottle of lighter fluid and a wicked looking curved knife which he looked at appreciatively before passing it to Sam – the younger boy handling it with natural, accomplished grace. At the bottom of the backpack there was a book, Dean pulled it out and began to leaf through.

It was a journal of sorts - Dean's eyes widened as he glanced through – he looked at Sam who was watching him with concern.

"Here" – He tossed the journal to the other man.

Sam opened the journal – inside were bizarre drawings and writing. Descriptions of creatures with weird names and words like Wendigo, Anasazi, and Zoroastrian. Black Dogs and skin-walkers were mentioned, tips on how to recognise and kill shape-shifters and werewolves; theories on Reapers and Demons. There were various notes in what looked to be Latin though he couldn't be sure.

Sam swallowed nervously. _What was all this?_ He looked across at Dean and his stomach dropped. The older man was looking at him coldly, calculatingly, as if weighing up a threat.

"Looks as though I'm not the one here who's a sandwich short of a picnic after all."

"C'mon, I must be a writer or something. That's it, I must write science fiction or one of those paranormal shows? What else could it be…No-one in their right mind would ever think this kind of thing could be real right?" Sam spoke quickly- he didn't want to be left here alone.

Dean looked at Sam speculatively – it sounded logical and the kid had seemed normal enough all day. In fact he found he had quite like the earnest young man's quick mind and banter. He was friendly and open – everything the kid thought you could see clearly in his face and expressive eyes. No Sam seemed ok, and what was more his instincts agreed. He smiled.

"So I could be stuck here with the next Chris Carter huh?"

Sam laughed relieved.

"Yeah that critter was definitely something out of the X-Files"

"Well with your hair you're Scully."

"No way dude, I'm taller so I'm obviously Mulder."

Sam moved to throw the journal back to Dean when 4 photos fell out of the journal on to the ground.

The first was of a picture of a dark haired man sitting with a small boy on his lap and a slightly older boy next to him. The second was another family snapshot of a pretty blonde woman, the man from the first photo, a baby and a young boy, all smiling. A third picture was of Sam and a young, pretty blonde, his arms wrapped tightly around her, both laughing at the camera. However it was the last photograph that caught his eye – it was another picture of him, this time with his current companion. Dean's arm was casually thrown around Sam's shoulder, almost dragging him into a headlock and they were both sitting on the bonnet of a black muscle car mugging at whoever was taking the picture. The Dean in the photo looked about four or five years younger than the man in front of him.

"Dude – look at these…" He held the photos out.

"No way," Dean shook his head, open-mouthed. "Is that a '67 Impala? – Sweet!"

"The _people_ Dean"

"I'm looking – huh –dude your hair was much better shorter"

The younger man ignored the dig. "Well at least it looks as though its not some weird co-incidence us both being here." Sam looked down at the photo- "So do you think we're related?" He asked. "Maybe not immediate family since we have different surnames, could be cousins?"

Both men looked down at the photo.

"You don't think…"Dean started, and Sam glanced up at him. Understanding dawned in both pairs of eyes and they grimaced simultaneously. "Nah"

"No way in hell," Dean growled, "There's no way in hell I'm depriving the lovely ladies of this" Holding his hands out.

"Yeah I'm sure virgins the world over would cry themselves to sleep over their loss – at least I have proof." He waved the photo of him and the blonde at the other man.

Dean whistled softly, "_Nice._ Man, she's totally out of your league though! I wonder who she is?" Dean mused.

"I wonder where she is?" Sam replied.

"I wonder if she has an older, naughtier sister?"

"You actually live in the gutter don't you?"

"It's my natural level." Dean shrugged with a proud smirk.

"Why am I not surprised?"

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Right so I know no-one will believe me but Catbeist, my wonderful Beta will back me up – this was written days ago, the co-incidence of the Mulder – Scully comment is just that – seriously I nearly fell off my chair when I saw the clip for next weeks episode…

So, please guys let me know what you think…have the next chapter up so if all goes well, will be up tomorrow night.

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far – its appreciated!

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"Holy Freaky Backpack Batman!"

"You have to admit it's a nice car Thrush"

"It's Robin Batman"

"I didn't steal anything…"

_Facepalm…_

"_I'm _Robin Batman"

"If I had known you were a thief, I would never have took those skates off you!"

"No my _name_ is Robin!"

"Oh - Isn't that a bit girly…do you have a red…"

"Its my secret identity!"

"I'd keep it that way if I were you..."

_Robin grinds his teeth before changing the topic_

"Holy Metallicar Batman – Isn't that the Impala?"

"Nice!…um Swallow? Could you untangle my cape from my roller-skates?"

Sighs - _"And I wear underwear on top of my tights for this?"_

"What was that Sparrow?"

"It's **Robin!" **

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	3. Of Wookies and Woobies

**Lest We Forget**

**Summary **

The brothers lose more than just their way when investigating missing hikers - Who would have thought that something so small could cause so much trouble?

**Disclaimer**

I do not own Supernatural or its characters? Next you'll be telling me that Sam and Dean aren't real! What about the plot bunnies that sit at the bottom of my garden glaring at me unless I am typing? Unfortunately they are real and mine….

**Author's Note**

So, I have added a little seriousness but interspaced with hopefully funny bits - I had to try for a plot in here somewhere loll! Please let me know what you think…thanks for any and all reviews – you guys keep me going!

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**Chapter 2 – Of Wookies and Woobies**

"So what now?"

Sam had cocked his head on one side. "Do you hear that?"

Dean rose and walked to the far side of the clearing, motioning for Sam to follow. The sound of water grew louder as they walked further into the woods on the far side of the glade. The trees began to thin out and the two men looked out across a wide, fast flowing river that curved around in both directions. There was no visible way to cross and the river looked too deep and treacherous to attempt crossing.

"So not this way then." Dean sighed.

"Well we can't stay here indefinitely."

"And what do you suggest Sam?" Dean snapped.

"We go back to the path, maybe there's another way across that gully. Maybe that bear –thing has left the area."

"Maybe fairies might magic this all better too." Dean muttered.

"I'm just trying to come up with suggestions." Sam said placating.

"Sorry man– guess those M & M's are wearing off."

Sam waved off the apology. "Don't worry about it."

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The two men had made their way back to the bridge.

They sat hidden, watching the bridge for an hour or so- there had been no sign of the creature.

"Maybe we should just run for it?" Dean whispered.

"Shhh"

"Don't shh me"

"Shhhh"

"You shhh toothpick"

**Half an hour later…**

"Maybe your right." Sam said reluctantly. "It'll be dark soon."

"Course I'm right – I'm sure I always am!"

"You're unbelievable."

"Glad you've come to terms with that." Dean smiled magnanimously.

"Shut up Dean." Sam started to snigger.

"You ready?"

"On 3."

"1"

"2"

"_3_". Both men began to sprint across the bridge. With a roar the creature swung over the side of the bridge – it had obviously been hiding beneath it. It charged straight for Sam, and Dean automatically threw himself sideways, and flung the younger man from out of the way of the huge paw that would have taken the taller man's head clean off.

Unfortunately Dean's momentum carried him forward and he stumbled, taking a glancing blow to the head on a think branch that over-hung over one side of the bridge. Flashes of light erupted in his field of vision and he desperately tried to keep a tight grip on consciousness, but it was a losing battle and he fell to the ground.

Sam faltered at the far side of the bridge. The beast seemed to be ignoring him, instead appeared to be completely focused on the fallen man, shambling in an uneven gait towards him. Sam slowly bent down and picked up several rocks.

"Hey!" He shouted and threw a large stone at the creature with surprising good aim.

The creature turned and snarled, curling leathery lips back from vicious and filthy looking fangs.

"What the…?" Sam took an involuntary step back – _what was this thing?_

The creature seemed reluctant to leave the side of the fallen and turned back to Dean who had yet to stir.

Sam threw another rock, this time catching the creature smack across its nose.

"Leave him alone!"

The creature growled, deeper this time and took a step towards the younger man. Sam did not hesitate; he had its attention, now it was time to draw it away. He cupped a third rock in his hand and threw it with all of his might, his aim true it hit the creature directly in its left eye. It howled in pain and charged.

Sam had picked up a thick log-like branch, and swung it unfortunately with little effect at the creature. It snorted contemptuously and swatted the branch from his hand, the thick length shattered under the creature's blow.

Sam backed up, _you could still get away_! His survival instinct was screaming at him. "I can't leave someone defenceless like that." Sam thought, but he knew it went deeper than that. _He couldn't leave Dean behind, period._

The last thing he saw was the creature's hideous face as it thundered towards him and then all went black.

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He awoke to a blinding headache, his head slick with blood and his shoulder throbbing. There was blood oozing down from what looked liked puncture marks…_urgh, please do not say that thing bit me,_ and they were starting to burn…Wherever he was it was dark, cold and damp. His arms and legs were bound and fastened to a metal ring in the wall. He felt stone beneath him and as his eyes grew accustomed to the gloom he could make out another figure a short distance away.

"Dean?" He whispered.

"Was wondering when you were going to wake up sunshine. You OK?"

"Super. Just a little tied up at the moment. Are you alright?" It was too dark to see if Dean was injured.

"Asides from an army of dwarves trying to pickaxe their way to my brain, fine."

"Can you get loose?"

"I'm trying." Dean growled in frustration. His head was pounding, he was battling nausea and everything was still that little bit fuzzy and unfocussed. Great _now_ I get a concussion...

"Where are we?"

"I think we're in a cave."

_No shit Sherlock._ Ok, so a stupid question.

"Any sign of that thing?"

"Not for a while- any idea what it is? Asides from him being one ugly bastard."

"Actually, I think he's a she."

"What?"

"She – I noticed earlier, no obvious male genitalia and she seemed to have enlarged mammary glands."

"You noticed what?"

"Breasts Dean, she has breasts"

"I know what mammary glands are Sam, but we get attacked and you notice her breasts? – _You dog_!"

"Just observant. Besides," Sam couldn't resist poking a little fun, "I think she may have her eyes on a mate."

"You already have a girlfriend Sam, remember that cute blonde in the photo - and she's a damn sight better looking than Chewbacca."

"Actually the way she was hovering over you on the bridge, I'd say you were the lucky man."

"You had better be joking Sam."

Sam looked at him straight-faced.

"You're kidding right?" Dean's face paled. "Oh_ man_…." He began to struggle even more furiously against the bonds that held him.

"She could be the love of your life dude" Sam teased.

"Shut up Samuel – You're not funny. At least she's not blind - she can tell who the handsome one is."

"Sure Dean- because obviously Wookie standards in looks are the same as ours!"

"Ha – with your hair, she probably thought you were a relative."

Dean had been wriggling in the ropes as had Sam, though neither were succeeding in loosening their bonds. Something nagged at his memory - he hitched his leg up and twisted his ankle around until it was close to his hand. His fingers grazed the top of his boot. "There!" He smiled in triumph when he pulled a knife from within his boot.

"Gotcha." Sam sighed in relief at the sight of the blade. His smile quickly faded though when he heard movement from behind him, from the back of the cave.

"Hurry Dean – I think it's coming back."

Dean quickly began to cut through his bonds; he could see something huge making its way towards them from the back of the cave behind Sam. A low growl rumbled.

"Get out of here Dean." Sam spoke softly, urgently.

"Don't be stupid Sam."

"You don't have time – get out and get help."

"I'm not leaving you on your own with that thing." He began to cut through the ropes on his feet.

"And what are you going to fight it with – that overgrown steak-knife there? – _That'll_ work! Get out and get help."

Dean started to move towards the younger man but the creature was there, he would never get to Sam before it did. The kid was right. _Shit._ He threw the knife at Sam, it struck into the ground next to his knee. Sam quickly nudged it behind him and flashed Dean a grin.

"I'll come back for you." The older man whispered as he ran for the entrance.

"You'd better." Sam gave him a small smile, his warm brown eyes soft with trust and belief that Dean would return.

_Dean felt like a traitor…_

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Sorry had to have at least one Cliffie….mwa ha haaaa

Hmm so what do you think? Good, bad, indifferent?

And how do you think John is going to think of all this…yup, he is going to arrive soon and he is not impressed at all…lol!

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"Holy abandoned hero Batman"

"Hmm?"

"Are you listening to me Batman?"

"Have you seen what's in this car Robin?"

"I think Evil Fan Girl has returned!"

"Who?"

"I told you about her before – she stole the Batmobile!"

"I'm sure this car is cooler Robin…and look Bikini Inspector! I think I want to be a Winchester!"

"What?"

"They have all these ID's, weapons, Impala, devoted fan girl following..."

"We need to help Sam and Dean!"

"But we can keep the car right?"

"NO!"

"What about the ID?"

"Fine!"

"Here's a one with Frances on it, a female ID. _You_ can use that one Robin."

"How many times do I have to tell you I'm not a girl…"

"Girls name and let's face it, you have no muscle tone, girl's legs and wear pink tights…is there something you want to tell me?"

"They're not pink…never mind...Oh and I'm driving. And no shouting "Woo Hoo Sweet Ride!" out of the window this time Batman- it's embarrassing – that woman was eighty if she was a day!"

"You're just no fun Bobbin."

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	4. Here's Johnny!

**Lest We Forget**

**Summary **

The brothers lose more than just their way when investigating missing hikers - Who would have thought that something so small could cause so much trouble?

**Disclaimer**

You guys know the drill…nope I do not own anything to do with Supernatural – it's tragic really…seriously, I should complain or something…will do if they keep neglecting Sam…grrrr.

**Author's Note**

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far- it's appreciated. Special thanks to Phx for allowing me to pinch "Morphine Sam". My version is no patch on hers, and if you haven't read any of her stories, you are seriously missing out...though please read my chapter first before going please….um…guys?… Hellooooo? Bugger, should've told them after the chapter…oh well…

**Warnings **- Um Naughty Dean is being a bit of a potty mouth I'm afraid...Oh and this chapter is quite long- hope you don't mind...

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**Chapter 3 – Here's Johnny!**

It was the logical decision, Dean thought to himself as he ran through the forest; he could clearly see the bridge behind him. The creature had not shown itself when he had crossed it. And if the creature had wanted to kill them, than it would have done it already – it wouldn't have trussed him and Sam like a couple of turkeys. Poor choice of words. _How did it tie us up?_ He thought.

He would get help then go back for his companion – yes, it was logical, and the smartest move so_ why do I feel I've abandoned him?_

The creature had been enraged when it realised that Dean had escaped. It had paced the cave snarling and clawing at the walls and floor and spun to face Sam._ Shit – this is it…_the creature growled viciously and approached the young man, and swung out with its paw, smacking Sam's head once more against the wall, and Sam's world descended into darkness once again.

Dean couldn't believe his eyes…it was the most beautiful sight in the world. There in the moonlight sat the black '67 Chevy Impala from the photo.

"Baby, who left you here all alone?" He rummaged in his pockets and a grin of delight bloomed across his face when he found a set of keys.

"Please…" he tried them in the car and the grin nearly split his face when the door opened. He quickly searched the car for anything he could use as a weapon but there was nothing except junk food wrappers and maps - he didn't want to leave the younger man alone a moment longer than necessary. He opened the boot but there was nothing of use visible…"Dammit!" He growled. He pulled out his phone- _still_ no signal. He could wait for the creature to leave, but who was to say it would. He had hovered outside the cave for a good fifteen minutes or so hoping that the creature would give chase so he could double back to help Sam but the creature had refused to be lured away.

He quickly climbed in and put the keys in the ignition.

"Now you're talking" He almost purred when the engine roared to life. The car had been parked at the side of a forest road…he decided to follow and see if he could flag down any help or until the signal returned to the phone and he could call in some cavalry.

He had been driving for nearly an hour and he was debating on turning the hell around. He was feeling sick to the stomach and it just felt plain wrong to be driving away from Sam. It was then that he saw lights in the distance, and saw the shape of a truck heading towards him. Up ahead the truck sounded its horn, and flashed its lights at him, and suddenly slewed in front of the car- Dean had to slam on his brakes to avoid hitting the other vehicle.

He leapt out of the Impala – he was absolutely furious.

"What the _fuck_ do you think you're playing at?" He yelled at the man behind the wheel of the black truck that had halted a hairs breadth away from the Impala. "You could have gotten us both killed!"

The unshaven man in the truck for a moment looked dumbfounded, though this was quickly being replaced with mounting anger.

"How dare you raise your voice at me?"

"Because old man you nearly ran into my car! What did you expect, a round of applause and a medal?"

"Listen to me son, I have driven all night to get here and I'm in no mood for attitude – now tell me what is going on and where's your brother?"

"Have you been drinking? A little too long on the Miller shift? Just who the hell are you and why did you try to run me off the road!"

The other man stopped in his tracks, taking in the younger man's appearance, concern starting to replace the anger. "Dean, this is no time to be fooling around…where the hell is Sam?"

Dean stood opened mouthed – "How do you know my name? Just who are you?"

"I'm your father Dean, you and Sam are my sons. Don't you remember?"

Dean looked closer at the other man…he did look a bit like the man in the photo he and Sam had looked at earlier._ Sam…_

"Sam is my brother?" A slow smile spread across Dean's face, then quickly faded, _shit…_

"Listen old man, I don't know if what you are saying is true, but at this point I don't really care - I need help. This creature has Sam tied up in a cave about an hour from here. It attacked us in the woods…"

"Wait, you left your brother in the hands of something supernatural?"

"Whoa – supernatural? What are you on about dude – I mean it was some fugly bear or something, though Sam tried to say it was a mutant sloth…but" then the rest of what the other man said seeped in…"I had to leave him, we had no weapons apart from a knife. Sam had shot it with his gun and it didn't even touch it. What the hell was I supposed to do?"

"You have no memory of me at all? What _do_ you remember?"

"Nothing, I cannot remember a single thing about my life, I only know my name is Dean Hagle because of my driver's licence."

"Hagle? Your name is Winchester."

"What?"

"Look Dean, we don't have time for this now, I'll explain it all later...You'll just have to take me on faith…now show me where this cave is."

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A short time later, the two elder Winchester men carefully approached the cave entrance. John had given Dean a machete and he himself carried a wicked looking scimitar blade.

"Consecrated steel." He had mentioned in passing to Dean. _Yeah like that explains a lot._ They now both carried backpacks that had been made pre-made up in the back of John's truck.

"What were you a boy scout or something?" Dean muttered quietly.

"Marine." John replied briefly.

"Oh, that makes sense of a lot of things."

The well-stocked packs had contained comprehensive first aid kits, ammunition, rations, space blankets, lighter fluid, matches and, unsurprisingly, salt.

"Come to think of it, is there a sodium deficiency or something in this family you think you should mention?"

John had given Dean a potted history of the Winchester family. Dean was sceptical. _Demons_? _Hunting?_ It all sounded a bit far-fetched however he needed the help, however deluded. But he had to admit there was a familiarity both with the older man, and with the feel of the weapon in his hands. He and John laid the packs at the base of a bush in the cave opening– they would only get in the way in a fight. He stealthily crept into the mouth of the cave and he couldn't help but grin at the buzz he was experiencing, the heightened sense of awareness, alert to signs of danger or movement. He had never felt so alive – and again it felt comfortable. _As if he had been doing this all of his life. _

John watched his eldest son approach the cave with some trepidation. It wasn't that he didn't trust his eldest son, but without his memory of hunting he would be at a disadvantage. Then again, watching his son, John came to the conclusion that Dean's talent was natural, a product of instinct rather than training – training had simply honed the existing ability. He was almost predatorily, moving with cat-like grace and silence. Balanced on the balls of his feet, he was alert and watchful.

John signalled for Dean to enter the cave ahead of him, while John backed him up, providing cover.

Dean looked at John, he still didn't really trust him one hundred percent and mouthed, "No way – you go first."

"I gave you an order". John mouthed back

"And?"

His father crept to where he stood. "You know the terrain!" John hissed

"Dude - You're the marine!" Dean muttered.

"Look son, you know where Sam is, I would have to waste valuable seconds looking for him which would leave us open to attack. Go in, find Sammy and I'll cover you."

Dean's paused in the entrance, allowing his eyes time to get accustomed to the deep darkness of the cave. He strained his senses, searching the cave for any sign of movement, listening for any sound, however small that would indicate that the creature was within…_or that Sam was still alive._

There was nothing.

For a kid he had no memory of, he certainly had him worried.

Taking a calculated risk, Dean turned on the beam of the flashlight and flashed it around. His heart plummeted.

There was no sign of the young man he had left behind- Dean felt as though he had been kicked in the stomach as bile rose. _I shouldn't have left him…_

"He's gone" He softly spoke to John – his eyes distressed.

"What? He's not…" John's face went white as he glanced frantically around the room. There was no sign of his youngest. _Thank god_…a part of him whispered, when Dean had said he had left him alone with a monster he had been preparing himself for the worst, as well as wondering how the hell he would cope with a Dean who had left his brother behind once he remembered.

Dean walked to where Sam had been tied, his fingers gently brushing the wall- there was a smear of blood that would have been at head height- it was still tacky. There was also a small pool of liquid on the floor of the cave. He bent down and touched it; again it was the slick, viscosity of blood. He looked at his hands, which now literally had Sam's blood on them and began to tremble. A memory suddenly assailed him, Sam's face, and blood flowing from his eyes and nose, Dean's thumb gently brushing away the blood. "It's Sam", his brothers voice whispered. His brother…he couldn't remember anything else, and at the moment nothing else mattered…Sam was his brother, he was hurt, he was alone and he needed him. And that was all he needed to know.

He showed his fingers to John- "He's hurt". John bent down to examine the area and held up a discarded length of rope, which looked as though it had been cut through.

Both Winchesters sighed a breath of relief. Sam had escaped. "Atta boy Sam." Now they only had to find him…before the creature did.

"Dean - describe this creature. What did it look like, how did it attack, everything." Dean filled him in and as he did John turned slowly and surveyed the cave, taking note of the copper rings in the wall, the pile of human remains carefully stacked in one corner, the lack of excrement that would have indicated if it was a just a deformed animal.

He sighed. "It wasn't a bear Dean"

"Then what was it?"

"It's a troll".

Dean grinned nervously "You're kidding right? Man, your even more deluded than I gave you credit for."

John ignored that – after all in Dean's position he would be just as sceptical – hell he had thought that Missouri was a bit of a fruitcake the first time she had mentioned Demons.

"Look around son, this isn't an animals lair – how did it tie you up, why did the bullet not affect it, hell it even lives under a bridge."

"But c'mon, trolls are monsters you scare kids with. They're just fairytales."

"And who's to say that fairytales aren't real? Fairy tales, urban myths, and legends – they're all the same Dean – they are a way of remembering that they are things out there that cannot always be explained or reasoned with. That there are still monsters and demons in the world – that there are reasons why we are afraid of the dark."

"Bed time stories must have been interesting in our house."

"What kind of father would I be if I didn't prepare my children for what is out there- if I didn't try to protect them any way I could?"

Dean had no answer and John sighed. "Let's go find Sam."

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It was harder than they thought. Even injured, Sam had covered his tracks well. They had made their way back to the clearing where Sam had first woken, Dean rationalising that Sam would not chance the bridge in his condition and that he would hole up somewhere until it was light. And didn't all the survival books say to find water?

They were just about to step out into the clearing when a movement on Dean's left caused him to turn. There was a glint of moonlight on steel and suddenly John was standing very still, a knife to his throat.

"Sammy?" John whispered looking at the dirty, dishevelled and bloody young man in front of him. Sam's eyes were glazed with pain and he looked almost feral.

Sam's eyes widened. "H-how do you know my name?"

"Dude, less of the Rambo action …" Dean spoke softly so as not to startle his brother.

"Dean?" Sam relaxed perceptibly. "What's going on – who is this?"

"It's a long story, so lower the knife – man can't tell his story too well if he's bleeding …besides do you know how long you'd get for patricide?"

John had spent some time talking to Sam, whilst Dean had scouted and gathered some wood for a fire. They decided to try to wait for first light, trailing through the forest in the dark with a troll on the loose was not the brightest idea – John had told them that despite their bulk they were quick, fierce, and immensely territorial and had excellent night-vision. They were basically nocturnal creatures, though they would venture out in the daylight if food were scarce…unfortunately with trolls, humans were not top of the food chain and considered fair game. One bit of good news was that they were wary of fire.

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Dean had gathered some wood to start a fire in the centre of the glade so that they would have a clear view all round- leaving nowhere in easy reach for the troll to hide. He had just returned and was laying them the wood and kindling in a defensible circle, that way that could be surrounded on all sides by fire and if he stocked up on the wood, they could easily keep it fuelled till morning.

John approached him, his face serious.

"Dean? I don't like the look of that wound in Sam's shoulder, it's infected and he already has a fever. I'm going to reconnoitre the bridge- see if there is any sign of the troll. If not we may need to move out and get Sam somewhere sheltered. The last thing we need is for him to either go into shock or develop pneumonia."

Sam was sitting with his back against a tree on the far side of the clearing. He moaned as he moved, the infected puncture wounds sending waves of fire down his shoulder arm and side- everything was getting a little fuzzy and he was developing a list. He slowly began to slide to one side when a firm hand pulled him back up. He looked into the concerned face of his brother Dean. _Brother…_it was as if a cold spot within his soul had warmed with the knowledge.

He gasped as the movement caused the pain to flare.

"Son, there are painkillers and antibiotics in the first aid kit." He heard john's voice as if from afar – there was a roaring in his ears. Clean Sam's wound, give him a shot and then get some more logs to keep the fire going in case we need to be here all night. I won't be long."

Dean fell into the familiar pattern of obedience before he realised what was happening. John disappeared into the darkness of the forest and Dean turned to Sam. "Let's get you sorted".

He quickly cleaned Sam's shoulder with antiseptic wipes and bandaged it. He found a selection of medical supplies in the first aid kit. One syringe he identified as the antibiotic, which he administered with worrying proficiency – again almost as if it was second nature. He spotted some morphine, _Jesus where does that man get all this_. He decided to give Sam a shot of morphine too, poor kid looked to be in immense pain, it would take a short while to kick in which would give Dean time to get some logs and get back. Then if they needed to move out, at least his brother should be able to move relatively painlessly. _Or at least he won't care if it hurts…_

Once he had finished, he led Sam to the middle of the large circle of firewood he had already collected and set it ablaze using the lighter fluid. The flames quickly took hold, surrounding the brothers and their packs in a fiery circle of protection. He had left a gap in the fire for him to get though, but would still hopefully act as a deterrent.

"Sam?"

"Hmmm?"

"Dude you must be one hell of a cheap date – the morphine kicking in _already_?"

"Feels good."

"I bet. Now I am going to collect some more wood to keep the fire going – I'll leave the shotgun with you. Now it's no good against that thing but if anything comes near, you fire it in the air and I'll be right back."

"Kay Dean…you be careful. Just found you…"

"I won't be long."

Dean hurriedly collected more wood for the fire; he had had to go further from Sam than he liked to get more deadfall when he started as he saw a shape moving towards him.

"Dean."

"Jesus - You scared the crap out of me."

"There's no sign of the troll anywhere near the bridge- its tracks lead off in the opposite direction of the road. Might've gone looking for easier prey."

"So we gonna head for the truck."

"Yes, bring a couple of those longer thick branches; we'll make up some torches. It might put it off getting too close if it changes its mind."

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They had seen no sign of the creature on there way back to where they had left Sam. Ahead of them they could see the glow of the protective circle of flame Dean had left Sam in. Sam had been in a great deal of pain earlier so the last thing either Winchester expected was to hear the sound of Sam's singing drifting through the night air. The fire looked a lot brighter than when they had left it too.

**_"Love is a burning thing, and it makes a fiery ring"_**

John and Dean walked into the clearing where they had left Sam earlier. John turned to Dean. "Oh God Dean, tell me you _didn't_ give Sam morphine…"

**_"Bound by a wild desire, I fell into a ring of fire…"_**

"Yes- why? He was in agony from that bite wound."

"Because Sam does not react well with Morphine Dean – don't you remember?"

Sam was getting well into the song now, belting it out, he swayed on his feet, arms outstretched._He has a surprisingly good voice_**…**Dean thought absently. The reason for the height of the flames was soon explained when Dean saw the now near-empty bottle of lighter fluid lying rather forlornly at the edge of the glade.

**_"I fell into a burning ring of fire"_**

A faint memory stirred, '_Morphine Sam', the giggling and the way too demonstrative displays of affection._

_"**I went down, down, down and the flames went higher"**_

_He remembered the cringe-worthy questions, not to mention the singing…shit!_

"_**And it burns, burns, burns, the ring of fire, the ring of fire."**_

"Johnny Cash eh Sam? – Well at least your taste in music's improving…" Last time he distinctly remembered Sammy singing cartoon theme tunes…problem was he was 18 at the time in a busy Chicago hospital. The nurse had been hot too and Dean had been less than impressed when Sam had started. Suddenly he and John had to throw themselves on the ground as a shot rang out.

_"**The taste of love is sweet, when hearts like ours meet"**_

Sam was now adding his own percussion to the song with the shotgun…

_"**I fell for you like a child, oh but the fire went wild…"**_

"Stop shooting you idiot – you could have killed us!" Dean called out- Jesus Sam looked completely out of it…

_"**I fell into a burning ring of fire."**_

This time the shot took out an unoffending tree to Dean's right.

"Shit - Sam!"

_"**I went down, down, down and the flames went higher."**_

He saw John silently creeping around to Sam's right. Sam's arm quickly raised and shot with the handgun that he had held half hidden in his other hand. He fired with incredibly good aim _for someone who is blatantly stoned out of his tiny little mind, _Dean thought, and shot directly into the ground at John's feet – at least Dean hoped it was good aim and that he hadn't been aiming any higher.

"_**And it burns, burns, burns"**_

Sam started to snicker**_… _**

"_**The ring of fire, the ring of fire."**_

"Look De, I'm in a ring of fire…" Sam called out delightedly, a huge grin plastering his face. He continued to sing.

"_Oh God, kill me now_…" Dean sighed as he hid his face behind his hand as Sam collapsed on the ground in a fit of giggles.

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So guys, what do you think?…Sorry about the length but its been a bit long between updates so thought I should make it up to you!

Please read and review…not 100 sure of this chapter – has a serious bit in the middle but again thought we needed it for the plot…And sorry - that song and scene…well that particular plot bunny has been stalking me for some time…I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did picturing it…If not, I'll just have to do better….

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"Holy Facepalm Batman"

"He does not look a happy bunny does he Robin?"

"He _was_ being shot at."

"The singing was quite good though…quite like the fire too."

"Batman? What are you doing?"

"Making my own ring of fire."

"And here I thought you needed curry for that…"

"What was that Robin?"

"Nothing Batman…WHAT ARE YOU DOING!"

"I needed something to start the fire…"

"Those were my favourite tights!"

"Are you sure there is nothing you want to tell me Robin?"

"Batman?"

"What?"

"The car Batman."

"What about the car."

"It has petrol in it."

"That's generally how cars go Robin."

"Yes but you just set fire to the tyres…"

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	5. Goblin, Ghoul and Gizmo

**Lest We Forget**

**Summary **

The brothers lose more than just their way when investigating missing hikers - Who would have thought that something so small could cause so much trouble?

**Disclaimer**

All the speculation and the secret is…yup they belong to me hahaha…oh alright, pouts, no they don't. Supernatural is still the property of that evil genius Kripke and the CW who seriously NEED TO ADVERTISE MORE….

**Author's Note**

Thanks to anyone who has reviewed so far. I will reply to them now that ffn is playing nice. Hoping you like this chapter. I have my doubts but my Beta convinced me to post - What would I do without her! So a special thanks to Beist!

**Warnings**

The boys are swearing again – sorry there's just no controlling them…

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**Lest We Forget – Chapter 4 - Goblin, Ghoul and Gizmo**

Another shot rang out and Dean dove side wards and he felt the bullet skim past his left leg.

"Dammit Sam, put the freakin' gun away."

Sam had stopped giggling and was gazing intently at the ground to the left of Dean.

"Ugly" He whispered.

"Dude, did you just call me ugly? Now that's going too far...not to mention being blatantly wrong…" Dean rose back to his feet.

"Dead." Sam giggled and Dean stiffened.

"What are you talking about?"

"The Ugly – it's dead." Sam waved his hand in Dean's general direction. Unfortunately it was with the hand that was still holding the gun. Dean flung himself back on the ground as another shot rang out.

"De?"

"Yes Sam?" He snapped, this was getting old.

"What ya doing on the ground?"

Man he was going to swing for the kid in a minute. Cautiously he looked at Sam who was watching him through the flames, a goofy smile lighting his face.

John was taking advantage of Sam being distracted by Dean and was creeping up on the far side of the youngest Winchester. He was obviously trying to get within striking distance in which he could disarm the young hunter.

Sam stiffened, his smile falling from on his lips and spun, the gun held unsteadily but accurately enough to make John pause. The gun was level to his chest.

Sam's head was tilted to one side. "I don't trust you. Stay away from me!" He muttered, his expression darkening.

A brief flash of something akin to pain flickered across John's face and he held his hands out placatingly.

"I'm your father Sam."

"Says you!"

"Stop being childish boy!" John snapped.

_Way to win him over Dad,_ Dean thought, surprised at how easily the term now came to him. "Sam…" His brother ignored him. "Sammy…" Sam turned wide brown eyes towards Dean. "Did you find your backpack?"

He looked confused and then smiled. "Yes"

Dean waited then sighed…"Where is it?"

"The Uglies took it."

"The Uglies?"

"Kinda looked like teeny, tiny trolls. Teeny Tiny Trolls…" Sam started to snigger- "That sounds weird."

_You're telling me _"He's wasted!" He called to John.

John looked thoughtful, "Sam?" Again he was ignored. "Sammy - tell me what they looked like."

"I told you, teeny tiny trolls!" Dean rolled his eyes, wasted his brother sounded like a petulant five year old.

"How teeny?" John asked, Dean snorted, for some reason he found it funny that the badass marine would say 'teeny'.

Sam frowned for a moment as he considered the question. "Remember Shadow?" John looked confused, then recalled when Sam was about five he had adopted a local mongrel he had found half-starved in Montana. Dean had named it 'Shadow' since it followed the youngest Winchester like one. It was better than the 'Ghoul' that Dean had originally picked out. Shared memory rose in Dean…_dumb dog,_ he muttered but not exactly teeny tiny…_god it's contagious…_

John put his hand just over knee height – "so big?" Sam nodded. "What else?"

"Teeth."

"What about it's teeth?"

"It had rows of itty bitty pointy teeth" _Jesus Sam, Itty bitty? How old are you- 6?_ "And red eyes."

"Red eyes?" _Not good._

"And they were grey and nasty looking."

"They?" Dean picked up.

"There's more than one?" John asked quickly, he should have known, they never travelled alone.

"Lots." Sam replied, looking around rather blearily.

"Great- college boy reduced to lots." Dean muttered. _College boy _– the words stirring more emotion than memory. A sense of an argument; of loss; of abandonment.

Sam looked owlishly at his brother. "I never left _you_ Dean", he said earnestly, "Would never leave you, I swear." He started to get a little agitated, emotions warring with the memory loss and the morphine.

"Shhhh Sam. – Dad what is it?" John looked concerned and was glancing around as if he was expecting an attack at any minute.

"Goblins"

"You're making this up now aren't you old man?"

"No son. Goblins, gremlins, trolls – they're all real. Not common, at least not anymore. The destruction of natural habitats and the expansion of cities mean that they have been virtually forced into extinction. Though they are adapting. Gremlins for instance have taken to technology like a fish to water really."

"Evolution" Sam nodded sagely and fell over. The two other hunters ignored him. "Gizmo!" he called from the ground.

His father nodded, "Yes Sam gizmo, gadgetry, they seem to have a natural aptitude for it all"

"No Dad" Sam rolled his eyes in exasperation, "Gizmo – the cute one from Gremlins."

"Didn't Dean used to call you that Sammy?" John mused.

Dean smiled in fond remembrance. "Yeah, he was a sweet kid until you tried to bath him. Just add water and he turned into a monster unless he had that Lock Ness bath toy you gave him. Even then, he used to destroy the bathroom."

"If I recall that was down to both of you having water fights and pretending to vanquish water demons and sprites."

"We had to practice somewhere" Dean responded straight-faced. "So, Goblins. Are they dangerous?"

"Only if you don't like being eaten." John said with a grin.

"You have a sick sense of humour."

""Oh I have my moments." John turned serious. "What I don't understand is how Sam can see them."

"He's hallucinating – c'mon Dad, he's stoned, - his mind is conjuring up fairy tales."

"Possibly, but his description is accurate. " He paused. "Maybe it's the morphine."

"That's what I just said."

"No Dean, maybe it's because Sammy's reality is distorted by the drugs - that could be how he is seeing them. Goblins aren't invisible; they just use a form of telepathy to mask reality. They basically trick your mind into thinking there's nothing there. And given that trying to get a foothold in Sam's mind at the moment will be like trying to grasp mist…how much morphine was in the kit?"

"2 more syringes."

"Right, we'll have to keep Sam drugged up. He can be our eyes."

"Whatever happened to how we were always supposed to say no?"

"We have to use the resources available to us."

"Are you sure you're our Dad, or even _a _Dad for that matter?" Dean muttered, a little taken aback by how at ease John seemed to be in using his son tactically.

"What?"

"Nothing…so Morphine Sam stays?"

"Unfortunately."

"Man…" Dean groused.

"De?"

"Yeah?"

"Stay very, very still." Sam muttered,

"Crap – is there one of those things nearby?"

"What things?" Dean counted to ten.

"Goblins"

"There's no such thing as Goblins" OK so it was going to be one of those conversations. "The trolls Sam"

"I'd think you'd see a troll Dean- I mean it's huge!"

"No, one of your teeny tiny ones." Dean growled. Sam sniggered.

"What?"

"You said teeny tiny too"

"So?" Dean asked, this was frustrating. "Is. There. A. Teeny. Tiny. Troll. Here."

"No"

"So why did you tell me to stay still."

"To see if you would." Sam giggled rather sleepily, curled and rested his head on his arm and closed his eyes almost contentedly.

"I'm gonna kill him." Dean muttered. "Are you laughing?" He said to John.

"Who me? I was just coughing Dean, it's the damn damp night air – I'm not exactly a spring chicken son." He quickly changed the subject. "Go get your brother up – he needs to keep lookout"

Dean slowly approached Sam who was still smiling though obviously asleep. "Wake up Rapunzel."

"Rapunzel?" John looks in astonishment at Dean.

"He's a girl, we're in a blatant enchanted forest, and the hair…" as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "And if anyone called Grimm turns up, I'm shooting the bastard…"

Just amazed you know the story."

"What a locked tower holding a hot virg- um never mind"

_Should have known, _John shook his head, something has been screwing with his boys memories but nothing else had changed…

Sam let Dean pull him to his feet. "We going home now?"

"Yeah Sam"

"Where is it?"

"Where's what Sam?"

"Where's home?" Dean's blank and confused look prompted John to answer.

"We don't have a home Sam."

"Why?" Out of all of Sam's questions, that was the one he always dreaded most. He guiltily remember that he had let Dean field most of the why's and how's.

"We move around a lot Sammy – hunting."

"Hunting what?" _Damn…_

"Hunting things that hurt people, things like that troll."

"Oh."

"Dad?"

"Yes Sam?"

"Where's mom?" _Shit…_

"She died Sammy, a long time ago."

"Was she sick?"

"No Sammy, she died in a fire."

"A monster killed her didn't it?" A look of confused guilt flashed across the younger hunters face.

_A monster…"_Yes" John sighed, _a monster was a good enough description of the demonic bastard that had taken Mary from him_.

"Why?"

"Enough of the twenty questions Sam!" John snapped.

Sam withdrew, a hurt expression on his face, "I only want to remember, to understand…" He whispered.

"I know son but now's not the time. I'll tell you the whole story later."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

"Cross your heart and hope to die?"

"Don't push your luck Sam." John walked ahead to scout the terrain then motioned for his sons to move out.

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"I don't think Dad likes me Dean." Sam looked a lot younger than his years, except his eyes – wise, expressive eyes barely containing a yearning for their father's approval, an awareness of just how far he was falling short of achieving it.

"Why do you say that?"

"I keep making him mad." Sam looked down, shuffling his feet, his whole posture again making him look young.

"Dude I get the feeling he was _born_ mad."

"I ask too many questions."

"You could be right Sam." Dean sighed.

"Don't you like me either Dean?" The plaintive expression tore into the elder brother; the least it deserved was an honest response.

"I hardly know you." Sam looked like he had just kicked him and turned wide puppy dog eyes on his brother and Dean could see pain and betrayal in their wounded depths.

"I'm sure I like you Sam." He patted his brother's arm awkwardly. "I mean would I be out in the middle of nowhere with you if I didn't like you?" That sounded all kinds of wrong in Dean's mind.

Sam looked at him with suspicion. "You might be trying to get rid of me."

"Don't be stupid dude."

"You left me with the troll." Dean flinched.

"I had no choice Sam, you were the one who told me to go remember, and anyway who shot at whom here?"

Sam did remember though not the campfire – he remembered Dr Ellicott and the asylum.

"Oh god Dean, I never meant it, any of it, I swear."

"What the hell are you on about Sam?"

"It wasn't me, you have to believe me - it wasn't me!" Sam was becoming frantic, his eyes pleading for his brother to forgive him a crime he didn't even remember.

Dean shook his head bemused. "But Sam – you missed"

"I shot you in the chest Dean, in the asylum, with a shotgun!"

"Dude you're starting to sound like Cluedo."

But Sam wasn't smiling. He was starting to hyperventilate, full-blown panic was setting in and he widened his eyes as he backed away.

"I tried to kill you, I was so angry, but it wasn't me!"

"Sam you're not making any sense."

Tears spilled from Sam's eyes as he began to sob in earnest.

"Sam look at me." Sam looked anywhere but.

"Sammy" Dean shook his brother, frustrated.

"Ow."

"Sorry Sam, look we can talk about this later but now you have to calm down. Don't fall apart on me now little brother, ok? For me?"

"Ok De." Sam hiccupped.

"Is you're shoulder hurting?" Sam nodded. His brother was becoming more lucid and his face more pain-pinched. From his flushed and too hot face, he looked to be adding a fever from the infection to the mix. Damn he should have realised earlier. The low was obviously the fall from the previous Morphine high.

"We might as well top up your morphine, it must be wearing off. " He called to their father. " Dad? How much?"

"Half a vial" John called back.

Dean took out a clean syringe and gave his brother half a dose.

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"Now Sam, we need you to watch out for Goblins" _Was he really saying that? God that sounded surreal._

"Ok." Sam's face began to assume the dreamy expression from earlier. His eyes glazed and the stoned grin was getting a little disconcerting. "De?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I have my gun back?"

"No."

"Don't you trust me?"

_Coming from the man who 2 minutes ago confessed to shooting me with a shotgun in the chest? But…"_You I trust Sam, it's just your aim when stoned that I don't."

"How will you know where to shoot?"

"You'll just have to tell me."

" Right, as that'll work well. Hey Dean, remember when you nearly shot Dad cos you mixed your left from your right?" Sam spoke deliberately loud and John turned to shush but had to bite back a grin at his eldest's horrified expression.

"No, because that never happened bitch."

"It so did…Dad's face…" Sam started to snigger. "You used to confuse your left from your right for years…" Dean's face flushed with embarrassment and mortification…_ Sam has to be winding me up…_

"Sammy, stop taking advantage of your brother's memory loss." John called over, amused but needing for the boys to concentrate. Now was not the time to lose their focus.

They went a few more yards. "De?"

"**_What?"_** Dean almost snarled, his temper starting to wear thin.

"Can I have my knife back then?"

Dean mentally weighed the pros and cons of giving Sam his knife. Yes, there was the danger of Sam cutting himself while out of it however he did not like the thought of leaving his brother defenceless should anything happen to him or their Dad.

"Sure kid." He handed Sam a knife from John's supplies.

"This _isn't_ my knife dude."

"It'll have to do."

"I want _my_ knife."

"You'll have to find your pack then."

"Mine's cooler than this one." Sam muttered.

"Don't get your knickers in a twist Francis."

Sam stuck his tongue out at his brother.

"Nice…real mature bro…"

Sam gave him a different gesture.

"Don't make me come over there and kick your ass Sam."

"You and whose army?" _Were they really getting this childish_, but Dean couldn't help grinning.

"I don't need an army."

"You probably couldn't reach anyway." Sam muttered, smirking.

"Scuse me?"

"Dad would have to find a box or stepladder or something for you!" Before Dean could retort though, Sam's expression changed. He was no longer looking at Dean, the half stoned grin that had been hovering over his features, vanished.

"Dean?" Dean noticed his brother's glazed intent look.

"You see them?"

"Yeah-"

"How many?" he mouthed, Sam held up one hand 5 fingers splayed. _Crap – five._

The two teasing brothers had seamlessly morphed from joking siblings to serious, if stoned in Sam's case, hunters. The change was remarkable and drew John's attention to them. He looked questioningly at Dean. Dean made an encircling motion with one hand and mimicked Sam's gesture to let him know how many.

"Two o'clock Dean." Sam muttered…"Ten yards." Dean fired; he looked at Sam who shook his head. Unfortunately the morphine was also affecting his judgement; it felt as though he was trying to focus through a fluffy haze. "Short by about 6 inches. " Dean fired again, this time eliciting a grin of triumph from his brother. "Left Dean, five feet." Sam called out excitedly. This was _fun – it's like an arcade game! _Dean fired again, another good shot on target given Sam's whoop of glee. Sam's face suddenly fell.

"What's wrong?"

"There's more of them"

"How many more"

"Lots"

**_Shit_**. "Dad we have a problem!" John quickly headed in their direction.

Sam was backing away; the comfortable warmth of the morphine combined with the rising fever was making it difficult for him to concentrate and to keep a hold on to his emotions, which were fast becoming turbulent and uncontrollable.

"It's okay Sam."

"No it's not."

"Stay calm kiddo."

"I think they know I can see them."

"Why do you say that?"

"They just ran straight past Dad and are heading for us." Sam suddenly lunged at his brother, the knife flashing in his hand. It buried into something on Dean's shoulder millimetres from his throat.

Dean felt something damp on his shoulder. _That had better be blood and not anything else the creature passes when it dies._ "Goblin?" he said weakly.

"It was going for your throat." Sam grinned as he glanced around, "Didn't think you'd like a 'Supernatural Hickie'…"

Dean smirked back…"What can I say, I'm irresistible. Where next?" His smile froze in place when he realised that Sam was no longer looking at him but over his shoulder.

Sam pushed Dean hard to one side and the elder brother smacked off the tree winding himself badly. In their brief contact though Sam had managed to lift his gun from Dean. _Jesus was this kid the Artful Dodger or something?_

"What are you doing Sam?" Dean said warningly.

Sam simply backed away hurriedly – he paused and shot at something at Dean's feet.

"Tag! You're it!" He hollered, turned and ran.

_Stupid bastard is leading them away, I'm gonna kill him…_Dean thought as he ran after his brother, John close on his heels.

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So, did this suck out loud? Please read and review and let me know…

Thanks for reading!

"Holy Chase Scene Batman"

Batman ignores him

"Holy Stoned Hero Batman"

Silence

"Holy Petulant Superhero Batman – are you _still_ ignoring me"

"You put the fire out Robin."

"You nearly blew up the car Batman!"

"It was a good fire too."

"Dean would have shot you Batman"

"He'll probably shoot you when he finds out exactly how you put the fire out Robin."

"It wasn't like we had any water." Robin looks uncertain, then fearful then backs away….

"Was quite impressed Robin – just exactly how much did you have to drink before we started on this epic adventure?"

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